In 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs are currently embarking on the greatest season in franchise history. Never before has a Chiefs team won 14 regular-season games in a single season, and there’s still one game remaining.
Of all the great seasons the Chiefs have had in its 51-year history, 2020 will definitely go down as one of the best – in terms of winning the most games, that is.
Before this season, the Chiefs broke the franchise record for most wins in a single season, three times. But what were the best regular-season records in team history, prior to the 2020 season? And how did Kansas City fare in each of those seasons?
The first was in 1962 when the club was formerly known as the Dallas Texans. In Len Dawson’s first season at the helm as the starting quarterback, the Texans raced through the AFL to a franchise-best 11-3 record. Which was good enough to win the league’s western conference and send the Texans to the ’62 AFL Championship game, where they defeated the Houston Oilers in double overtime, 20-17, for the franchise’s first championship victory.
Dawson passed for 2,759 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in 1962, and would remain the franchise’s signal-caller for the next 11 seasons. Halfback Abner Haynes was also a big part of the Texan offense during the ’62 campaign, rushing for a career-high 1,049 yards and 13 scores. Haynes never came close to reaching those numbers ever again during his pro career.
The following season, the defending AFL champion Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
Kansas City wouldn’t have another double-digit win total until 1966 where they tied the ’62 club with 11 regular-season wins. However, the ’66 Chiefs finished with a slightly better record, losing only two games which, the franchise had never done before.
The Chiefs finished with an 11-2-1 record and won the AFL western conference for the first time since the ’62 season. In the ’66 AFL Championship game, Kansas City pulverized the Buffalo Bills, 31-7, to win their second AFL championship. The victory also gave the Chiefs the right to participate in the first-ever Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers.
Two seasons later, the Chiefs would break the franchise’s record single-season win total in 1968. After starting the season 1-1, the Chiefs soared on an 11-1 run to finish the ’68 campaign with the first-ever 12-win season.
The 12-2 Chiefs won the AFL western division that season and traveled to Oakland for a division postseason matchup with the Raiders for the rights to play in the ’68 AFL Championship game, which would include a shot at playing in Super Bowl 3.
Instead, Kansas City was handed one of the worst defeats in the club’s history. With QB Daryle Lamonica at the helm, the Raiders put up 454 yards of total offense as he threw five touchdown passes to blow Kansas City out of the water, 41-6.
The 12-2 season from 1968 would reign as the winningest season in Chiefs history for 27 seasons until Marty Schottenheimer’s team came along in 1995.
Led by one of the best defenses in the NFL, featuring the sack-master Derrick Thomas and defensive end Neil Smith, the Chiefs were a heavy Super Bowl favorite for the majority of the ’95 campaign.
On offense, quarterback Steve Bono passed for a career-high 3,121 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. While on the ground, veteran running back Marcus Allen rushed for 890 yards and five scores.
During the ’95 season, Kansas City started the year with a 10-1 record and finished by winning three of their last five games to become the first team in franchise history to win 13 regular-season games with only three losses.
The ‘95 Chiefs won the AFC West that season but suffered an early playoff exit during the AFC divisional round to the Indianapolis Colts.
Two seasons later, in 1997, the Chiefs would finish 13-3 again thanks to a red hot Rich Gannon, who was starting at quarterback in place of the injured Elvis Grbac. Gannon played in nine games, starting six, and threw for 1,144 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions to fire up a major quarterback controversy in Kansas City.
The Chiefs won the division in 1997 and went into the playoffs with home-field advantage as the top seed in the AFC playoff bracket. Before their divisional matchup with the Denver Broncos, former Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer made one of the most controversial coaching decisions in team history by benching the fan-favorite Rich Gannon in favor of Grbac to start the game.
Of course, in typical 90’s Chiefs fashion, the decision to start Grbac blew up in Schottenheimer’s face as Kansas City struggled to get their offense going and would suffer yet another early postseason exit.
Six seasons later, the Chiefs would tie the highest single-season win total again in 2003 thanks to a dynamic trio that made Kansas City’s offense one of the most fun to watch on Sundays. Quarterback Trent Green, running back Priest Holmes, and tight end Tony Gonzalez made the Chiefs one of the most dangerous offensive scoring teams in the NFL.
During the ‘03 campaign, Green passed for 3,981 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. On the ground, Holmes rushed for 1,420 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns while also catching 74 passes for 690 yards. Finally, Tony-G. was one of Green’s favorite targets to get the ball to and finished the ’03 season with 71 receptions for 916 yards and 10 scores.
The ‘03 squad began the season ripping off nine-straight victories before finishing the season at 13-3 to win the AFC West Division and succumbing to another postseason defeat…to the Colts.
Before the 2020 season, the Chiefs have not won 13 or more games since the 2003 season. Even under Head Coach Andy Reid, the most games Kansas City has been able to win in a single season has been 12.
In Week 16, that changed as the Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons to win its 14th game of the regular season. On January 4th, 2021, Kansas City will finish with a 14-2 or 15-1 record, depending on what happens against the L.A. Chargers in the final game of the season.
Regardless of the result from Week 17, the ‘20 Chiefs will end the year as the winningest team in the franchise’s history.
